Researchers at four universities – three in the U.S. and one in China -- say that increasingly warmer weather patterns in the Corn Belt could increase the growth of a toxin that would swell farmers’ losses and threaten an important food source over the next two decades.
Study: Rising temps, drought likely to increase incidence of aflatoxin in corn
Researchers estimate losses to triple by 2040 under current trends
Aflatoxin is a toxin produced by fungi that can grow in the soil. They are poisonous to humans and pets, and are highly regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration against inclusion into the food supply.
